Apparatus for producing patterned tufted material



Inventors Philip Brown Wembley; Peter Henry James, London, England Appl. No, 733,485 Filed May 31,1968 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 Assignee Keystone Limited Nassau, Bahama Islands, a Bahama Body Corporate Priority June 8, 1967 Great Britain No. 26575/67 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PATTERNED TUFTED MATERIAL [50] Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,108,553 10/1963 Beasley 112/221X 3,132,612 5/1964 Hackney 112/79 3,172,380 3/1965 Boyles 112/79 3,259,088 6/1966 Rockholt. 112/221 3,286,670 11/1966 Boyles 112/79X Primary Examiner-James R. Boler A!torney-Mawhinney & Mawhinney ABSTRACT: A tufting apparatus having a reciprocating frame carrying a number of needle driving beams, a row of 12 Clams I0 Drawing Figs solenoid moved needles associated with each beam, the sole- US. Cl 112/79, noids being energized by a scanner which traverses a pattern 1 12/22! to be reproduced to move the needles required for tufting into int. Cl. D050 15/20 engagement with their associated beam,

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PATTERNED TUFIED MATERIAL This invention relates to apparatus for producing patterned tufted material and particularly for the'manufacture of tufted carpets.

The invention provides an apparatus for producing patterned tufted material comprising a number of side-by-side rows of tufting needles, means for traversing a backing to be tufted past the rows in a direction transverse to the rows, means to drive each needle towards the backing, the needles each being movable between an operative position in which the needle is connected to the driving means-for movement towards the backing and an inoperative position in which the needle is not connected to the driving means, means for repeatedly reciprocating said driving means so that the operative needles are caused topenetrate the backing, means for each needle energised by selector mechanism each time the and means for withdrawing said needles from the backing whereby loops of said tufting yarns are formed on the backing.

The means for withdrawing the needles from the backing may comprise parts of said driving means which engage parts of the needles when moving awayfrom the backing.

In either-of the arrangements referred to above means may be provided for energising all of said means for moving the needles, to bring the needles into inoperative positions after the operative needles have been withdrawn from the backing whereafter said selector mechanism is arranged to energise the means for moving the needles required to perform tufting operations in the next reciprocation of the driving means to bring those needles into the operativeposition.

Spring means may act on each of the needles to oppose the. action of the means for moving the needles when energised by the selector mechanism.

. In any of the abovea'rrangements the mean s'for movingthe needles may be arranged to impart lateral'movement to said needles and-said driving means is provided-with parts which overlie parts at the upper ends of the needles when in said operative positions and said driving means may also be pro-' vided with parts which underlie lateral projections on the needles towards the lower ends thereof whereby movements in up and down directions are imparted to the operative needles.

The movement of the driving means which causes the operative needles to penetrate the backing to bring the tufting yarns in those needles into engagement-with the yarn engaging means may also be arranged to move the inoperative needles sufficiently to penetrate the fabric but to stop short of the yarn Alternatively, the elements may extend in the direction of movement of the reciprocating driving means and may be pivotally mounted on a fixed structure, the energisable means being arranged in staggered relationship in the direction of movement of said driving means and being arranged to move the element about said pivots, the pivotal movement of the elements being arranged to move the needles.

, In any of the arrangements referred to above said means for moving the needles may comprise electromagnetic means, fluid operated means, or electromagnetically controlled fluid operated means.

Also in any of the arrangements referred to'above yarn feed meansmay be located on said drive means through which the yarns pass prior to passing to the needles, said feed means being adapted to permit movement of the yarns from the drive means to theneedles and to prevent movement of the yarns in the opposite sense whereby movement of the drive means towards the backing draws the yarns with it.

The following is a description of a number of embodiments of the invention reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: I

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an apparatus for manufacturing tufted carpet;

FIG. 2 is adiagrarnmatic exploded perspective view of part of the reciprocable structure shown in FIG. 1, and showing a tufting needle and means for imparting lateral movement to it;

FIGS. 3 to 6 are sections through the reciprocable structure shown in FIG. 2 and showing the relative disposition of the structure, the needle and the backing during different periods of the reciprocation both for an operative and an inoperative needle;

FIG. 7 shows an alternative shaping for the upper part of each needle and of the part of the reciprocable structure which engages it;

FIG. 8 shows the upper part of the reciprocable structure and needle and of a carrier for all the needles when in an inoperative position;

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a different form of reciprocable structure to that shown inFIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

p The general layout of the apparatus is similar to that set out in'U.S. Pat. No. 637581 so far as are concerned the means for traversing the backing through the apparatus, the means for reciprocating the reciprocable structure and the means for generating the signals which control the selection of the needles to perform tufting but differs in the way in which the neeengaging means and said driving means may be arranged to move both the operative and inoperative needles away from the backing. v

The needles may each be provided with a further lateral projection which, whether the needle is in the operative position or not, lies in the path of movement of a further part of the reciprocating driving meanswhen it is moving the operative needles to positions opposite the meansfor engaging the yarns whereby the inoperative needles are caused to penetrate the backing to a limited extent.

Alternatively the needles in the inoperative positions may be supported on a stationary carrier so as to be clear of the backing.

In any of thearrangements referred to above the means energised by the selector mechanism may each comprise a separate element in engagement with .a needle or a part secured thereto soar to permit reciprocation of the needle relatively to theelement and which element is movable by energising means to move the needle.

In one embodiment according to the invention said elements extend transversely to the needles in the direction of said direction of traverse of the backing.

dles are rendered operative for reciprocation by the reciprocable structures.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings the apparatus shown comprises a structural framework 10'towards the bottom of which there are mounted supply and takeup rolls I1 and 12 respectively for the backing 13 to be tufted. A motor 14 drives the takeup roll 12 through a gearbox l5 and chain and sprocket transmission 16 so that the backing is traversed continuously and slowly between them.

A needle carrying frame 17 is mounted in the structural framework above the backing so as to be reciprocable in an up and down direction at a predetermined rate in accordance with the continuous movement of the backing, a suitable transmission 18 being provided for that purpose which is driven from the shaft of the takeup roll 12. The backing passes between nip rolls 19 on its way to the frame 17 and the resulting tufted carpet passes between nip rolls 20 on its way to the takeup roll. The frame 17 is provided with a locating means for a number of structures each of which is indicated generally at 21 which extend across the width of the backing 13. The number of structures 21 corresponds to the number of colours required for the tufts which are to be introduced into the backing 13, there being three structures and hence three colours of tufts in the arrangement shown in the drawings. The structures are spaced apart in the direction of the travel of the backing through the apparatus. A

Yarns 8 of different colours are drawn from sets of creels (not shown), there being one set for each colour of yarn and each set containing as many creels as there are needles on a structure for any particular colour. There may be as many as 1,000 needles spaced apart across the width of the backing for each colour.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 6 of the drawings, the structure 21 shown is approximately E shaped in cross section thus providing an upright portion 22 from which extends an upper portion 23 an intermediate transverse portion 24 and a lower transverse portion 25. The underface of the upper transverse portion is formed with a number of grooves 26 corresponding to the number of needles in a row of needles, which grooves are separated from one another by partitions 27. The intermediate transverse portion has slots extending from the bottom to the top thereof and separated by partitions 29. The lower edges of the partitions are curved as indicated at 30. The upright portion 22 of the reciprocable structure, between the intermediate and lower transverse portions, has extending through it a number of holes 31 one for each needle and which holes are disposed below the slots 38 in the intermediate transverse portion 34.

The lower transverse portion 25 is also provided with a number of slots 32 extending from the bottom to the top thereof forming partitions 33 between them. Each of the partitions 33 is provided with a slot 34 extending downwardly from the top thereof and stopping short of the lower edge of the partition. The spacing apart of the partitions 29 and 33 is such as to loosely accommodate the needles one of which is shown at 35. Each needle is pointed at its lower end and is provided at that end with an eye 36. However, it might be provided with a hook or the needle might be tubular.

Each needle is provided with laterally-projecting trunnions 37 which slide in the slots 34 in the partitions 33. Each needle also passes through a loop 38 formed at'the end of a spindle 39 which passes through one of the holes 31 in the upright portion 22 of the reciprocable structure and is connected to the armature of a solenoid 40 which is us supported by a bracket fixed to the lower end of the reciprocable structure. The solenoids are arranged in staggered formation as shown in FIG. 2. The coil of each solenoid is arranged-to be energised in one direction so as to move positively the armature by signals initiated, for example, by a scanner as described and in the opposite direction by signals initiated by switch means as described later. Located in a circumferential groove in each needle above the loop38 is a split ring 41 which as indicated later may be engaged by the curved under edge 30 of the partitions 29 during the downward movement of the aforesaid structure.

As will be seen from FIGS. 3 to 6 the top wall of each of the grooves 26 may be curved as indicated at 42 and the top of the needle may be rounded as indicated at 43.

Instead of the needle being rounded at its upper end it may be formed with a face 44 inclined to the axis and the upper wall of the groove 27 in the lateral portion 23 may be inclined as indicated at 45 in FIG. 7.

When the reciprocable structure is in its uppermost position the trunnions 37 will be resting on the bottom 34a of the slots 34 and the solenoids will all have been energised in a direction to swing the upper end of the needle away from and clear of the lateral portion 23 of the reciprocable structure, the needles thus being on the aforesaid inoperative positions. When in this position the solenoids for those needles which are to effect tufting are energised in the opposite direction so as to swing those needles about their trunnions 37 into the operative positions shown in FIG. 3 where the lateral portion 23 overlies the needles there being a gap between the top wall 42 and the upper end of the needle. The parts then move downwardly in these relative positions until the pointed end of the needle engages the backing 13 when the gap is taken up and the trunnions 37 will move upwardly relatively to the bottom 34a of the groove 34 and further downward movement of the reciprocable structure will cause the pointed end of the needles to penetrate the backing l3 bringing the tufting material in the eye of the needle opposite the tufting hook or loop 46 which is then swung by means (not shown) into the position shown in FIG. 4. Cutter means (not shown) are provided for severing the loops of yarn formed on the tufting hook. In the meantime the inoperative needles which are in an inclined position with their upper ends to one side of the lateral portion 13 of the reciprocable structure, will have been moved down in this inclined position and their pointed ends will reach-the backing simultaneously with the selected needles and the split rings 41 are so positioned on the needles that they will be engaged by the curved edges 40 of the intermediate lateral portions 29 only when the selected needles are a short distance from the looping hooks 45 and the latter part of the downward movement causes the split ring 41 to be engaged by the curved edges 40 thus thrusting the unselecting needles through the fabric but they stop short of the tufting hooks, the position of the various parts being shown in FIG. 6. The reciprocable structure 10 then commences to move u wardly and during the first part of the movement the bottom 34a of the groove 34 will engage the trunnions of the operative needles moving those needles upwards and in the meantime reestablishing the gap 27 between the lateral portion 23 and the upper ends of those needles. Before the reciprocable structure 21 reaches the upper limit of its movement the solenoids of the operative needles are again energised in the direction to swing the needles into the position shown in FIG. 5.

Shortly before this the bottoms 34a of the slots will have engaged the trunnions 37 of the inoperation needles and the lateral portions 29 will have moved upwardly away from the split rings 41 and all the needles in a row will then be in alignment with one another, and in an inclined position with respect to the vertical and all the trunnions 37 will be resting on the bottoms 34a of the slots 34.

In an alternative arrangement shown in FIG. 8 each needle is provided with a groove 47 on that side thereof remote from the reciprocable structure and when the reciprocable structure and the needles are in the uppermost positions and the latter are inclined to the vertical the upper side of the slot is brought into overlying relationship with a'flange 48 on a stationary carrier 49 which thus supports all the needles of a row of en needles. In this arrangement the energisation of the solenoids for rendering certain needles operative for performing a tufting operation causes the overlying faces of the grooves 47 in the needles to be drawn away from the flange 48 and the end of the needle 44 to be brought opposite the inclined face 45 of the lateral portion 23 of the reciprocable structure,

whereas the unselected needles remain on the flange 48 during the full reciprocation of the structural member. In such a case the inoperative needles do not penetrate the fabric and the split rings 41 and the partitions 29 of the reciprocable structure could be dispensed with.

Instead of the structure 21 being reciprocated it may be stationary and the carrier 49 may be reciprocated, in which case all the needles will require to be initially supported on the structure 21 with their lower ends clear of the backing and under such conditions the grooves 47 in all needles will be opposite the flange 48 when the latter is at the upper limit of its travel. The supporting of the needles in the structure 21 may be effected by disposing the split rings 41 on the needles above the partitions 29 and when the solenoids are operated they tilt the selected needles to bring the split rings clear of the partitions 29 whereupon the flange 48 enters the grooves in the selected needles and reciprocates them. The upper end of the structure 10 is preferably tilted away from the carrier so that the selected needles will be brought into vertical positions when moved by the solenoids into engagement with the reciprocating flange 48. Thus in effect the part 48,49, becomes the aforesaid reciprocable structure and the part 21 becomes a stationary carrier.

With any of the above arrangements the needles in each row may be spaced apart across the width of the backing without the necessity of staggering them although the solenoids which "aligned needles.

Referring now to the arrangements shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings, the beam 21 is secured at its ends by brackets 60 to side members of thereciprocable frame not shown). Located immediately in frontof the beam 21 is a fixed beam 61 secured by means (not shown) to the aforesaid structural framework of the apparatus' g c As best seen in FIG. 10 the beam 21 has at its lower end a transverse foot 62 extending towards the beam 61 which is provided with a number of spaced slots extending from the bottom to the top thereof having partitions 63 between them.

Each of the partitions 63 is formed with a depression 64 extending downwardly from the top thereof. Each of the slots is arranged to loosely accommodate a needle,-one of which is shown at 65.'Each needle is provided with laterally extending shoulders 66 which rest in the depressions 64in the partitions 63 on either side of the slot which accommodates the needle,

t is engageable by swinging of the upper part of the needle above the foot, towards the beam 61. In the engaged position the upper wall of the recess 69 overlies part of the head of the needles and the lower wall of the recess underlies the projection 67 so that reciprocation of the beam effects reciprocation of the needle. The needle thus located is in the aforesaidoperative position. The beam 61 has a recess 70 extending along the length thereof in which the projection 68 on the needie is engageable by movement of the upper part of the needle towards the beam 61. With the projection 68 located in the '1 recess the head of the needle is out of the path of movement of .the recess in the beam 21 and theneedle is "supported against movement by the f xed beam 61, the'needle' thus being in the inoperative position. f I

Swinging movement is imparted to each of the needles 65 to move the projection 67 into the recess 69 bymeans of a vertimediate of its ends on a lug 72 extending laterally from the beam 61. The lug 72 is secured to a plate 73' which is infturn secured to the beam 61. Secured to the lower end of the lever 71 is a push rod 74 which extends through a bore 75 in the beam 61 and engages the needle 65 above thefoot 62. The 1 upper end of the lever 71 is slotted and engaging with said slotted end is one end of a connecting element 76 the other end of which is secured to the core of a solenoid 77 mounted on the beam 61. The solenoid 77 is energised to move the core in opposite directions by means describedlater. Movement of the needles 65 to bring the projection 67 into engagement with the recess 69 is opposed by the actionof the spring 78 which is formed from spring steel which engages the needle 65 below the foot 62 and which is secured by a plate 79 to the beam 61. Thus unless the solenoid 77 has'been energised to bring the needle 65, through the lever 71 into the operative position with the projection 67 located in the recess 69, the needle will be held in the inoperative position by the spring 78 with the projection 68 located in the recess 70.

In order to enable the needles to be closely spaced from one another the solenoids 77 are mounted on'the beam 71 in vertically staggered relationship so that, as shown in FIG. 9, adjacent levers 71 are of different lengths and connecting elements 76 between the solenoids and levers of adjacent solenoids are also vertically spaced. Also adjacent lugs 72 on which the levers 71 are pivotally mounted are vertically spaced from one another.

Yam 8 is fed to the needles 65 through passages 97 in the reciprocating beam 21. A leaf spring 98 extends into each passage from the side remote from the needle the spring being secured by a plate 99 to the side of the beam 21. The spring is angled across the passageway and is arranged to urge the yarn against the sidewall of the passageway; It will be appreciated that the spring will permit yarn to move through the passageway in a direction from the structure to the needle but movement in the opposite sense will be resisted since the yarn will tend to draw the end of the leaf spring further towards the wall against which the yarn is pressed so that the yarn becomes jammed between the spring and wall.

The operation of the tufting hooks 46 and cutters is as described earlier with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

The means for energising the solenoids referred to above will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.

The apparatus comprises a rapidly rotating cylinder 80 which carries a coloured representations of the pattern which is required for the tufted fabric and drive means 8l are provided in known manner for rotating the cylinder from the aforesaid transmission 15 in synchronism with the movement of the backing 13. For the purposes of explanation there is drawn on this pattern axially spaced circles 82 which represent the lines of tufts across the width of the backing and circumferentially spaced axially extending lines 83 representing the rows of tufts-extending along the length of the carpet. A number of optical scanners, one for each of the differently coloured tufts to be formed, are supported on a carriage 84 and are spaced apart in the direction of the axis of the cylinder by an amount proportional to the spacing apart of the structures along the length of the backing 13,. Means 85 are provided for traversing the carriage 84 along the cylinder 80 at a rate proportional to the rate of travel of the backing 13 which means 85 may be driven from the aforesaid transmission 81. The optical scanner comprises in known manner a number of lens systems 86 for focusing a beam of light, the colour of which varies with the colour of the pattern. The pattern is illuminated by light sources 87 as the lens systems traverse across the pattern. Abeam of light from each lens system is directed onto' a photocell 88 disposed opposite the lens system and photoelectric cell 88 is responsive, an electrical impulse is cally extending lever 71 which IS pivotally mounted -intergenerated. The resulting succession of electrical impulses from each photoelectric cell is transmitted along a conductor 89 to an instep maintenance device 90 having a number of outputs equal to the number of conductors 89 and each of which outputs is connected by a conductor 91 to an integrated circuit system 92, each of which is associated with one of the aforesaid needle carrying structures 21 and has the same number of outputs 93 (there being only one shown for each system) as needles which outputs are connected through amplifiers 94 to respective solenoid coils to operate the needles in the manner described above. The integrated circuit system includes a solid state switching device to ensure that as an impulse is generated by a photoelectric cell 88 when its lens system 87 is opposite a colour at a particular location on the pattern a needle for that particular colour opposite a corresponding location on the backing 13 is rendered operative by the solenoid associated with that needle.

Thus as the cylinder 80 rotates in each lens system 86 and photoelectric cell 88 successively pass locations where the colour corresponds to the colour to which the cell is responsive a succession of needles across the width of the fabric are rendered operative forming a line of tufts across the width of the fabric. During this time the lens systems 86 and cells 88 are travelling slowly along the rapidly rotating cylinder 80 and should it be required to repeat the pattern whence its cells reach the end of the cylinder their direction may be reversed by reversing mechanism (not shown) and brought back to their initial position and the process repeated.

each of the structures 21 and is connected to all the solenoids.

on that structure. Each switch is arranged to be actuated dur ing reciprocation of the structure after the needles have been withdrawn from the backing and when actuated supplies pulses of electric current to all the solenoids to energise the solenoids to move all the needles into inoperative positions.

Since the needle carrying structures 21 which extend across the width of the backing are spaced apart along the length of the backing a full line of tufts across the fabric will not be completed until that line has moved past all the structures. Thus in order to prevent incomplete lines of tufts being formed at the leading or the trailing ends of the backing, means (not shown) require to be provided so that the commencement of tufting the needles on the various structures are rendered successively operable and at the end of tufting they are successively rendered inoperative.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the tufting hooks 46 may be adjustably mounted towards and away from the backing so that the height of tufts formed can be varied. Also the yarns used to form the patterned material may be of different textures, size or natures instead, as described above, of different colours. In a further arrangement the above described solenoids form for moving the needles may be replaced by pneumatic or hydraulic rams which may incorporate electromagnetically actuated control valves for controlling their actuation in accordance with said signals from the scanner.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for producing tufted material comprising:

a. a number of side by side rows of tufting needles;

b. means for traversing a backing to be'tufted past the rows in a direction transverse to the rows;

c. reciprocable drive means for driving each needle towards the backing;

d. means individual to each needle for. moving the needles between operative positions in which the needles are connected to the driving means for movement towards the backing and inoperative positions in which the needles are not connected to the driving means;

e. selector means for energising said needle moving means each time the drive means reciprocates so that needles required for tufting are moved to operative positions;

f. yarn engagement means on the opposite side of the backing to the structure for engaging the yarns in the needles which penetrate the backing;

g. means for withdrawing said needles from the backing to leave loops of tufting yarn in the backing, wherein the improvement comprises;

h. staggering adjacent needle moving means with respect to one another to permit close spacing of the tufting needles; and

i. the movement of the driving means which causes the operative needles to penetrate the backing to bring the tufting yarns in those needles into engagement with the yarn engaging means being also arranged to move the inoperative needles sufficiently to penetrate the fabric but to stop short on the yarn engaging means and said driving means being arranged to move both the operative and the inoperative needles away from the backing.

2. An apparams as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for withdrawing the needles from the backing comprise parts of said driving means which engage parts of the needles when moving away from the backing.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim I wherein means are provided for energising all of said means for moving the needles to bring the needles into inoperative positions after the operative needles have been withdrawn from the backing whereafter said selector mechanism is arranged to energise the means for movin the needle s requiredto perform tufting operations m the nex reciprocation of driving means to bring those needles into the operative positions.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein spring means act on each of the needles to oppose the action of the means for moving the needles when energised by the selector mechanism.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the needles are each provided with a further lateral projection which, whether the needle is in the operative position or not, lies in the path of movement of a further part of the reciprocating driving means when it is moving the operative means to positions opposite the yarn engaging means whereby the inoperative needles are caused to penetrate the backing to a limited extent.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the needles in the inoperative positions are supported on a stationary carrier so as to be clear of the backing.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means energised by the selector mechanism each comprises a separate element in engagement with a needle or part secured thereto so as to permit reciprocation of the needle relatively to the element and which element is movable by energisable means to move the needle.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said elements extend transversely to the needles in the direction of said traverse of the backing. U

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the elements extend in the direction of movement of the reciprocating driving means and a fixed structure is provided'on which the elements are pivotally mounted, the energisable means being arranged in staggered relationship in said direction of movement of the driving means and being arranged to move the elements about said pivots and the pivotal movement of the elements being arranged to move the needles.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for moving the needles comprises electromagnetic means, fluid operated means, or electromagnetically controlled fluid operated means.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein yarn feed means are located on said drive means through which the yarns pass prior to passing to the needles, said feed means being adapted to permit movement of the yarns from the drive means to the needles and to prevent movement of the yarns in the opposite sense, whereby movement of the drive means towards the backing draws the yarns with it.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the needles extend generally vertically and have lateral projections towards their lower ends and the reciprocable drive means has parts which overlie the upper ends of the needles in operative positions and parts which underlie the projections on the needles so that reciprocation of the drive means moves the operative needles up and down. 

